Friday, June 10, 2011

Couldn't Stay Away...

My last post (about 3 weeks ago) was all about quitting and walking away from this whole thing. The major thing that I noticed since then, was that even though I made all of the right arrangements to leave it all behind and get on with my life, I have found that the connections that I have made are hard to sever and even having been a part of this thing of ours for a relatively short time, it is hard not to want to form new connections.

While sitting on the dock, by the lake, in Clemson, SC I recieved a text from a young man who we had helped some weeks ago. When it was cold and miserable outside in Atlanta, we had given out Starbucks cards so that people could go in and out of Starbucks, get a cup of coffee, maybe a snack while they got warm. The main thing was that we did not just want to give people cash. With thse cards, we could refill them on-line where ever they were. We had given this young man one and he had only used it a couple of times as it only had 10 dollars on it, but it did not take long for that money to run out.

The heat has been oppresive lately and this has been terrible for the homeless. Today, approaching summer, air conditioning can be just as important as heat is in the winter. Rain falls hard and all year round. Being exposed to the elements in any season is dangerous. I had forgotten that or ignored it.
On the other side of that, while taking in my surroundings and doing a bit of relaxing, I saw that while I was sitting and talking to people about various things, the same concerns were arising. Every conversation, would without trying, come to these big and small social, environmental, and economic issues. It is apparent that people have a desire and the will to do something, but lack the outlet.

One must do what they are interested in and I cannot see myself just working in an office anymore. I have tried to get out, but it all just pulls me back in. Leaving the state of GA did nothing to get rid of my desire to help and I have noticed that even Clemson has at least one homeless person. So, I am back and I hope that others will join me as I work to do some good things.